Inserted chuck-actuating wrench with safety sleeve



June 1948= T. J. WlLLETTE 2,442,717

INSERTED CHUCK-ACTUATING WRENCH WITH SAFETY SLEEVE Filed Feb. 26, 1945 ma ma J. MLLETTE Attorney.

Patented June 1, 1948 EJNHTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,442,717 INsERThiij cfupoK-Ao'r ATiNG weesee WITH SAFETY SLEEVE Theodore J. Willette, St. rain, I Application February 26, 1945 Serial No. 579,?87

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a wrench or tool and particularly to a tool adapted to turn an object or element such as a screw. While the tool might have various applications. it particularly is designed to be used for turning a screwoperating a chuck jaw such as used in the faceplate of a lathe orotiher machine tool. V l 7 When the chuck such as used on the faceplate of a lathe is to be tightened, the operator engages the screws operating the chuck jaws and turns the same. It frequently happens that the operator will leave the wrench or tool used in turning the screw on or in engagement with the last screw turned. When the lathe is put in operation the revolution of the faceplate will throw or project the tool by centrifugal force thuscausing damage or endangering other employees; The tool may also be rotated in engagement with the frame or bed of the machine and broken. I p p It is an object of this invention to provide a Wrench or tool for turning an element such as a chuck element comprising a turning part which must be projected from a casing against spring pressure so that when the turning operation' is completed the said part will be moved into the casing by said spring pressure and the tool will be released from the element turned.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a wrench or tool comprising a member adapted to engage and turn an element, a second member in which said first mentioned member is disposed and from which it can be projected to engage said element, resilient means normally holding said second member within said first men-' tioned member, and means engageable by the operator for projecting said first mentioned memher from said second member and for turning the same;

It is another object of the invention to provide a wrench or tool comprising a casing having a passage therein adjacent one end thereof, a tool disposed in said casing adapted to be projected at said end thereof to engage and turn an element, resilient means in said casing normally holding said-tool within said casing and means at the other end of said casing engageable by the casingh'avi'ng a passage thereinadjacent' one end thereof; said passage being polygonal crbss section, a tool fittingina'rid'slidable in said pas:

sage, said tool having a reduced portion p mg at the other end ,o'fs'aid casing and liavi han le thereon without said casing. sai spr g orm-an holding said tool Within saidjcasing, aide means secured to said casing for turning the same andsaid tool, v These trimmer objects andadvantages 6f the invention will be fully set forth in the following descr ption made in cermectign with the a e; in;- panyin drawings in wj h Iikereferen e characters refer to similar. parts throughout the several views and in which: v Fig. .1 is'a partial View in central vertical sectio-n er said tool;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in e elevation an partly in central vertical section showing the parts in different positions; 1 J: s,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken "on line 3-3 0fFig.I; I 1

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on line 4 4 ofFigl';

Fig. 5' is a vertical section taken on line 555, of Fig. 1, said sections being taken as indicated" by the arrows; and j j Fig e is a vi 'w partly in from; erevat o partly in vertical section showing a chuck with a wrench applied to an element thereon p Referring to the drawinia tool" silehlas' a Z wrench is shown comprising a casing Ill. While r .H

thiscasing coul dibe' variously formed in the mii tsi t e .il e ii iill ei f t 5t as l dr ca e din semeha tas e ii -k he i dia en and r eme. t en he e t a s e We s sho .iI HFi -Ha isrely en l in cross section. and. she n spe c lly. e swbz stantially square in cross section. Ga sing lll has a s h y e uced r tism at ts e h rt n o p lye n ior On. w i ris ured Wren verse1y ext ndin handle l imh f rm. iabar. While handle. i cou d e s cu ed in,v qus;wa;y in the embodiment of the invention illustrated it is secured by expanding, the outer end; o f re-,

du'ced portion; Ice therein. BA'JQOOI 12 is disposed;

. in passage lfim the same fitting in said passage and being slidablethereim "Iool I? has a reduced mu casing item-Brand at -e causing it opposite, that having p ssage, [0d

therein. Portion (2H is f ori nefd with a' reduce end [Eb to which isseeur eee button er l i andlfel pression coiled spring i5 is disposed in chamber b the same surrounding portion 12a and bearing at one end against collar I4. Spring l5 bears at its other end against collar l6 secured to reduced portion lZa in any suitable manner as by a pin l1. Collar I6 is adapted to engage a collar or plug i8 pressed and. secured into the end of casing [0.

It will be seen that as shown in Fig. 1, tool [2 is normally held within casing ill by spring l5. Spring i 5 moves collar 16 against the plug l8 and thus holds the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 6 a faceplate 20 is shown having chuck jaws 2| therein which are movable radially by turning the screws 22. Said screws 22 have sockets 22a in their ends which are polygonal in cross section and in which the end of tool I2 is adapted to fit. When the jaws 2| are to be moved, the operator presses on button or handle I3 and moves tool l2 against the pressure of spring l5 so that tool I2 is projected from one end of casing It, as shown in Fig. 2. The operator now engages tool l2 with the screw 22 and turns handle ll. When handle I l is turned pressure is placed on tool l2 and this is suflicient to keep said tool from being moved by spring l5 even if button I3 is released. The operator now turns handle H and tightens the jaw 2| as desired. If the wrench or tool is released entirely by the operator, the spring l5 will move tool l2 andmove it into the casing I0 into the position shown in Fig. 1. The wrench or tool will then have no support and it will drop from the faceplate 20. It is thus impossible for the operator to leave the wrench or tool in engagement with the chuck or faceplate. Any damage or hazard caused by thus leaving the tool in such engagement is eliminated.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided a simple and eificient wrench ortool for operating on a chuck or similar element and one which provides a great safety feature. The wrench can be quickly and easily operated and yet it cannot be left in the element turned to cause a hazard or danger. The device has been amply demonstrated in actual practice, found to be very successful and efiicient and is being used in practice.

' It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the class described having in combination, a casing having a passage therein adjacent one end thereof, said passage being polygonal in transverse cross section, a tool having a portion of polygonal shape in transverse cross section fitting in said passage and slidable therein so as to be projected from said end of said casing, said tool being prevented from turning in said casing by said polygonal shape, resilient means in said casing normally holding said tool within said casing, means connected to said tool and movable therewith projecting at the other end'of said casing engageable by the operator for projecting said tool at said first mentioned end of said casing, and a handle connected to the other end of said casing for turning the same and said tool.

2. A device of the class described having in 4 combination, a casing having a passage therein adjacent one end thereof, said passage being polygonal in transverse cross section, a tool having a portion of polygonal shape in transverse cross section fitting in and slidable in said passage, the same being guided in and prevented from tuming in said casing by said polygonal portion and 'being arranged to be projected at said end of said casing and insertable in the socket of a chuck for turning the same, said casing having a chamber therein communicating with said passage, said tool having a reduced portion extending through said chamber and extending withp out said casing at its other end, a handle secured to said reduced portion without said casing and movable with said tool, a spring disposed in said chamberengaging one end of said chamber at one end, a collar secured to said reduced portion engaged by the other end of said spring whereby said spring normally holds said tool Within said casing, said tool being projectable by the operator pressing on said handle, and a second handle secured to the other end of said casing for turning the same and said tool.

3. A tool for operating a chuck comprising an element with an aperture'therein of polygonal shape in transverse cross section, said tool having in combination, a member having a portion of polygonal shape in transverse cross section adapted to be inserted in said aperture in said chuck element and rotatable for turning said element, a second member in which said member is mounted for sliding longitudinal movement and in one end of which it substantially fits and is guided and kept from turning in said casing by said polygonal shape and from which it can be projected, resilient means normally holding said first mentioned member within said second member and means movable with said first mentioned member and disposed outside of said second member at the opposite end thereof for projecting said first mentioned member, and means secured to said second member for turning the same and said first mentioned member while the latter is inserted in said chuck element whereby when said means is released said first mentioned member will be moved by said resilient means out of said chuck element and into said second member.

4. A tool for operating a chuck, which chuck comprises an element to 'be turned and having an open-ended aperture therein of polygonal shape in transverse cross section, said tool having in combination, a casing having a passage therein having a portion of polygonal shape in transverse cross section opening at one end of said casing, a tool extending through said casing and having one end of polygonal shape in transverse cross section non-rotatably fitting in said portion and slidable therein so as to be projected at said one end of said casing to be engaged in said aperture, a compression coiled spring in said casing engaging said tool and urging same to movewithin said casing so that said end is not projected therefrom, said tool projecting at the other end of said casing and having a .handle thereon without said casing by means of which it can be projected from said first end of said casing against the tension of said spring, and a handle secured to said casing having oppositely extending arms for turning said casing and tool Whereby said tool. can be projected againstthe tension of said spring to be disposed in said aperture and turn said element but when said device is released by the operator said spring will retract said tool within said casing so that said device will be unsupported and will drop.

THEODORE J. WILLE'ITE.

REFERENCES CITED Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Reed et a1. Ma 6, 1873 Norcross July 14, 1874 Forbes May 17, 1892 Gast July 17, 1928 Queen Sept. 22, 1936 Jemigan Nov. 6, 1945 

